What evidence supports the withdrawal?
Merck’s decision to withdraw Vioxx from the market is based on new data from a trial called the APPROVe (Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on VIOXX) trial. In the APPROVe trial, a 156-week (three-year) trial, Vioxx was compared with placebo (sugar pill). The purpose of the trial was to see if the 25 mg dose of Vioxx was effective in preventing the recurrence of colon polyps. This trial was stopped early because there was an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, after 18 months of continuous treatment with Vioxx.
